Changes will be made to the heating, ventilation, and moisture ingress and drainage standards.

Changes include:

• Updating the heating standard to better reflect how certain properties retain heat. These changes will apply to:
  • certain apartments
  • certain newly built homes
  • properties renovated throughout to the 2008 building code requirements for insulation and glazing.

A grace period for affected properties will also be introduced.

• Updating the heating standard to give all properties additional flexibility with the introduction of:
  • a new alternative pathway to compliance,
  • a new ‘top up’ heating allowance and
  • a new tolerance for existing insufficient heating capacity.

Geothermal heating will also now be compliant.

• Updating the ventilation standard to allow continuous mechanical ventilation systems that continuously extract from kitchens and bathrooms, for homes that received building consent on or after 1 November 2019.
• Updating the moisture ingress and drainage standard to clarify that landlords are not required to install alternative moisture barriers where it is not reasonably practicable to install a polythene barrier.

The heating assessment tool on the Tenancy Services website will be updated to reflect these changes once they become law. 

The purpose of the Residential Tenancies (Healthy Homes Standards) Regulations 2019 is to make rental homes warmer and drier for households who rent in Aotearoa. After a process of consultation, modelling and testing, the Government is confident these changes will provide a more tailored approach to achieve the intent of the regulations. 

For more information about the changes – Ministry of Housing and Urban Development(external link)

Read our information on the healthy homes standards

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